The Chargers Drafting Phillip Rivers a Complete Offense: a Rhyme Behind the Reason?

The Chargers decision to pass on a young QB to develop behind Phillip Rivers this offseason was questionable. Their decision to spend their 1st, second, and 3rd round picks on a WR and two guards, respectively, was also questionable. Especially considering that the Chargers already fielded a decent trio of receivers (Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, and Dontrell Inman) and this draft was considered to be one of the worst offensive line classes of all time. So what gives?

The Chargers defensive backfield was not among the leagues elite this past season. They lost some close games in the 4th quarter, many of which they should have won. This year’s defensive back draft class was being heralded as one of the best of all time, and the decision to pass on talented safeties such as Malik Hooker in the 1st and Obi Melinfonwu in the 2nd could potentially come back to haunt the Chargers in the future. However, the draft is already over and so now it is time to speculate the "Why?" rather than the "How."

Phillip Rivers had a talented cast around him last year, featuring the aforementioned receiver trio along with young skill players RB Melvin Gordon and TE Hunter Henry. Giving a talented veteran leader QB like Rivers more of these young tools to mold seems like they will be asking him to be a players-coach and create a cohesive offensive identity for his future successor to step into on day 1.

The decision to pass on a QB this year could be because the team simply didn’t like any of the QB’s in this year’s draft, and did not see them as the future of their team. (Incumbent backup Kellen Clemmens is also likely not the answer.) They also maybe wanted to give Rivers one last year without a young signal caller breathing down his neck for the starting job. So rather than take a flyer on a guy like Davis Webb or Peterman in the late rounds, the Chargers decided the stock the shelves offensively for Philly Rivers to work his magic and make a unit click.

Next year, with an already existing offensive culture created these past few off-seasons, the Chargers could trade up and select a QB like UCLA’s Josh Rosen or Wyomings Josh Allen. (Is it ever too early to talk about next years draft?) This new QB would likely sit behind Rivers for another year or two, until the future HOFer decides to hang up the cleats and call it quits. At that point, the best case scenario is that the new young QB would step into an already established unit featuring WR 1 Mike Williams, and a potentially great guard tandem in Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney. The Chargers would then appear to have incredible foresight if this plays out in such a way.

But still, what about the defense?

The Chargers have a talented group of pass rushers in 2nd year stud Joey Bosa, recent breakout star Melvin Ingram, and the big strong D Tackle Corey Luiget. New DC Gus Bradely will come to town and implement a 4-3 "Cover 2 under" scheme that he used to run in Seattle in their super bowl days.

This scheme requires talented zone CB’s and the Chargers have a pair in youngster Jason Verret and veteran "Guy who used to play for the Packers and had like 5 picks this year but I forget his name."

However, the Bosa’s and the Verret’s of this team do not have much of a supporting cast in terms of LB’s and safeties. In order to prevent the big plays that killed the Chargers 2016 season, they still need the other 3 ingredients that Gus Bradley’s defense requires for success: a rangy athletic MLB (Bobby Wagner’s Role), a rangy ball hawk Free Safety (Earl Thomas Role) and a hard hitting enforcer of a SS (Kam Chancellor). The Chargers have 1 talented safety Jahleel Addae, and he will likely remain at strong safety, but other than that they need lots of athletic help at these other positions.

The Chargers selected defensive backs Rayshawn Jenkins and Desmond King in the 4th and 5th rounds of this years draft. Rayshawn Jennings is a big, hard-hitting safety who could develop into that Kam Chancellor, but that is all but certain. Desmond King, out of Iowa, is a guy I was very high on before the draft. At 5’10" and 200 pounds, he lacks the ideal size to play outside corner but is very instinctive and is a good tackler who could start at either safety spot or as a nickel corner.

Aside from the 4th and 5th round picks, The Chargers may have missed out by neglecting to fill these holes earlier in a defensive back class that was considered as an "all-time great." However, they potentially added the last missing pieces needed to create a truly dominant offense. Adding these pieces now, rather than later, could pay off in the long run because Rivers could essentially coach these receivers and lineman and demand that they play to his standard of success. That way, by the time the new guy comes in to play he will be surrounded by a unit that will already be disciplined and efficient

(Ala Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense when Trevor Siemian took the reins in 2016. It is unlikely that Siemian would be nearly as efficient in another team’s offense, a theory that has been tested by seeing the more-talented Brock Osweiler flounder in an offense that was not previously commanded by a legend QB)

If the Chargers hit on these offensive draft picks and have a positive first year in Los Angeles, and then get a QB in the 2018 draft that should have premium talent at the position, this years draft will be considered a success and the foundation for the future of their offense.

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Austin Vershel

Firstly, the CB you are thinking of is Casey Heyward, who recently appeared on the NFL Top 100 Players countdown. Secondly, with the strong young core and the pieces that they have added this offseason, it seems to me like the Chargers are looking to compete now before their window closes with Rivers. While a Rivers Super Bowl seems unlikely, by the time he retires and a young QB is chosen and groomed, their young core will not be so young anymore. Players like Bosa and Henry will be on their second contract which is not garunteed to be with the Chargers. With the Broncos tailing off without a QB, and the Chiefs plateuing with Alex Smith, It is only the Raiders that stand in their way in the AFC West. Atleast on paper, the Chargers seem to match up with the Raiders favorably considering the Raiders cant defend the run or the pass.